Freewheelin' at Ottawa Folk Festival
Friday, 14 September 2012
#ottawafolk2012 highlights
Thanks again everyone for being part of the 2012 FREEWHEELIN’ Ottawa Folk Festival presented by TELUS! We started out making a list of highlights but realized that who better to tell us about the best parts of the ‘fest than you! Here are some of the magical moments that you captured at this year's festival:
Monday, 10 September 2012
A Dynamic Duo
With all the discussion of solo acts at this year's Ottawa Folk Festival presented by TELUS, it was a pleasure to find a group formed exclusively around the concept of a couple. Whitehorse – the Hamilton-based project of husband-and-wife duo Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland – took to the Tartan Homes stage with a variety of instruments too broad for just a set of four hands, but their smouldering on-stage chemistry and wide-ranging musical abilities more than made up for this horse's physical deficiency.
Despite the unseasonably cool evening
temperature, McClelland sported a floaty red dress that barely reached her knees. At least once mid-set, she
– and her husband adamantly agreed – expressed her hope that “my dress and the
wind co-operate.” She needn't have worried. With the amount of samplers,
keyboards, drums, bass, and different microphone filters, the amount of work
the couple needed to put in racing between sections of the stage would have
kept body temperatures balmy. From the opening chords of the first song -
“Killing Time Is Murder” from their 2011 debut – the couple definitely brought
the heat, mixing head-knocking percussion with progressively more blistering
guitar work. “When all is said and done/ time will waste everyone” went the
opening refrain. Not if things keep up like this, the undulating audience
appeared to answer in unison.
“We put our new record a week ago, so here
are some new ones,” said Doucet, before dropping into a number dedicated to the
band's hometown. Title “No Glamour In The Hammer” may reveal an unintentional
truth about Hamilton, but the big, fat, menacing square basslines brought a
funk appeal to the tune that augers well for Whitehorse's future. If the band
can continue to transcend genre barriers this easily than the hugely popular
duo of Jack and Meg White – of The White Stripes – had better watch their back.
Two more selections rang out from the new
album, “The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss,” the building rhythm only periodically broken
by some equipment issues on stage, once humourously following the lyric
“there's no getting out of this one.” But Whitehorse did find a way out,
playing through the ensuing complications with an ease their fans clearly
appreciated. A failing drumbeat was taken up en masse by audience clapping.
“I'm as sober as a judge/ but the jury's certainly drinking tonight,” sang the
grinning couple, stage techs ferreting nervously around the mess of wires at
their feet.
Everything was quickly back in order for a
few popular cuts from the group, with the Bruce Springsteen cover “I'm On Fire”
expertly delivered, and “Broken” developing quite the mid-set groove. Voice
distortion appears to be an element the band is working with greatly, as is
vocal and percussion sampling to extend both atmospherics, and the phenomenal
harmonizing qualities of Doucet and McClelland. This was perhaps most apparent
on the very promising opening track from their new disc, “Achilles Desire,”
where spaghetti western guitar tones swim expertly around snippets of keys, a
Pink Floyd-esque chorus, and a thoughtfully fuzzed out high-range. “I don't
have much/ but I am a rich man,” sang Doucet, in a final truth spoken straight
from the horse's mouth...
- Cormac Rea
Folk Goes Green By Numbers
The festival is all about music and
community, a community that goes hand in hand with the environment. While we
often talk about the number of people that come out to the Ottawa Folk Festival
presented by TELUS, there’s a whole other set of numbers that we’d like to
share with you.
13,250
The amount of water bottles we’ve diverted
from a landfill since going water bottle-free in 2009.
16,000
The number of plates we divert from the
landfill every year by washing reusable plates.
34,000
The number of forks, knives and spoons we
wash instead of using plastic ones.
75%
Thanks to the Green Team, who goes through
everything that’s thrown out at the festival, we’re able to recycle or compost
up to ¾ of the waste at the festival. That’s 35% more than the city’s average!
You’ll often get lectured on ways to save
the planet, but here, it’s become a natural part of the festival. Whether
you’re eating tasty organic food, putting your beer cup in a cup sucker or taking
in the beauty of Hog’s Back Park during a bike ride, it’s all part of the
festival’s history of greening initiatives.
The festival has always had the environment
at it’s core and led the way as the first festival in Ottawa to go water
bottle-free but we’re always looking for ways to make it greener. Here’s a look
at a few of the green things at this year’s fest:
Envirotent
Envirotent
This is the place to go if you want to
learn about solar power, making natural cosmetics or edibles of the wild. I got
the chance to stop for the homemade cosmetics workshop. I learned about some natural
products that can replace harsher store-bought items, such as sugar and oil as
an exfoliant and peppermint as a skin soother.
Green
Vendors
We already touched on this in our foodguide and artisan guide, but there’s great natural jewellery and clothing. And
don’t forget about the organic food - B.
Goods Bakery is a great for fair trade coffee and organic treats!
Keep it green folks!
- Gabby
Great Big Sea - Quintessential Canadian Folk
Along with beavers, snow and hockey, Great Big Sea is a symbol of Canadiana. They are quintessential Canadiana Folk. While the first mention of Great Big Sea may not conjure up the typical granola-folk associations; they are definitively folk in the true meaning of the term.
My dad expressed this thought while he watched Great Big Sea for the first time at Ottawa Folk Fest this Saturday. He said (well, screamed more like it) over the energetic performance that Great Big Sea, with its distinct maritime sound, took Canada back to its roots, representing the Celtic contribution of what makes Canada what it is today. And, while most people were probably not thinking about this historical and sociological significance while dancing to “Ordinary Day,” it is certainly something to be proud of.
This was Great Big Sea’s first performance at the Ottawa Folk Festival presented by TELUS. However, they have performed in Ottawa’s Bluesfest in the past years. So, how do the performances compare? Last night’s performance was a more down-home, back to the roots performance compared to the more rock-based and pop-driven shows at Bluesfest, I overheard a few people in the crowd say. Having been to both their Bluesfest and Ottawa Folk Festival shows, I can truthfully say that both of them have been pure energy and rug-cutting, good, clean fun!
Their performance on Saturday was a definite crowd-pleaser. They started off a cappella with “Donkey Riding “, which got the audience revved up as they led into “Captain Kidd.” They had the devoted and huge crowd singing to "General Taylor," and played my favourite (and native Newfoundlander Tom Power’s of the CBC), “Sea of No Cares.” Throughout the whole night, Great Big Sea kept up their high-energy talent and you could tell that they loved every minute of it, as did everyone in the audience.
Whether you call them Newfoundlander, pop, rock, blues or folk, Great Big Sea has found a new home at Ottawa Folk Festival!
- Danielle
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Artisan Village at Ottawa Folk!
The Ottawa Folk Festival, presented by Telus, offers us so
much more than just music. The artisans, both local and from afar, have some great goods that can serve as souvenirs of the festival!
Blue Frog Creations
Heather Caton from Blue Frog Creations has some beautiful
handmade glass beads. She hails from Waterloo, Ontario, and uses sterling
silver to showcase her glasswork. Be sure to ask her about her custom work, or
send her an email with a request!
Heartfelt Creations
If you’re looking for some very unique pieces of jewellery,
you must stop by Heartfelt Creations. Tunica Harris is an Ottawa artist,
and has been for 15 years. He uses nickel-free sterling silver to make his
creations. The electroplated leaves, which are natural leaves, covered in gold,
silver or copper are my personal favourite!
The Fairies’ Pyjamas
Check out Michelle-Lynn Johnson designs, at the Fairies’
Pyjamas. All of her products are fair-trade
produced in Nepal. This year, the women’s clothing collection is featuring organic
cotton!
Come see Shaheen with his radical, tie-dyed designs
(tea-towels, shirts, bags, aprons, etc.) and also take a peek at the great
Tunisian artisanal pottery being offered by his dad at their collaborative
shop-tent! You can support Tunisian artists and see a young entrepreneur’s
work.
If your pants seem a little loose after dancing off some
pounds in the dance tent, you’re in luck! Heather Church is visiting the Folk
Fest from Bayfield, Ontario. Her laser-etched belt-buckles are one-of-a-kind! She
also has the coolest website name, ever.
Quichua Crafts
The Ottawa business is at the Fest and is featuring handmade
products from Ecuador. Be sure to check out their colourful jewellery and clothing
that features fruit and vegetable dyes as well as all of their alpaca products.
Massage Tent
Featuring three local practitioners, the massage tent is
sure to be visited by many folkers! They are currently offering head, face,
neck, shoulder, hip and lower back massage, as well as reflexology and Ashiatsu. Visit Marilou Richard, Andrea Unsworth, and Debbie Schinzel and hear
about their city-wide services!
Martia Toppozini is the owner of Going Global from
Kemptville and she travels to find an eclectic mix of handmade, fair trade
items. Most of her products are from women’s co-ops. My personal favourite are
the paper products called Poopoopaper. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds
like.
This tent offers the creations of 20 local artists in one,
travelling shop that is soon to open a permanent location on York Street. There are simply too many great products to mention in here,
but I always have a soft-spot for owls! These ones are made out of recycled
fabrics and look pleasant to cuddle.
Devaki MacDonald is visiting from Collingwood, Ontario and
has truly unique and rare jewellery. All of her pieces are made from recycled
clocks and watches and are beautiful and eco-friendly!
Leah Feor’s shop features her own silver and macramé creations
as well as fair trade products from Argentina. Come visit her and use coupon
code “fairtrade” to receive a 10% discount off of her fair trade items!
The artisan village is located right across from the food vendors, just steps away from the shows and workshops. See you there!
- Michelle
- Michelle
Learning the True Art of Folk
What's a folker to do in the hours before their favourite musician hits the stage? See some amazing group performances, and learn some quirky tips and tricks from the experts of course!
Saturday may have been a little soggy, but that didn't keep any of the musicians and presenters away from the Ottawa Folk Festival presented by TELUS. The line-up was out in full-force, and I’m not just talking about the performances at our main stages.
From hands-on instructional workshops, to laid back interviews and musical mash-ups, there’s a lot more than meets the eye at this year’s festival.
If you're not musically inclined, or prefer to sit back and watch the pros do it, you could check out the amazing jam sessions with some of our headlining artists at the Slackwater Stage.
Sincerely Yours opened the stage on Saturday, a group made of four artists from near and far. John K. Samson played host, introducing himself as well as Melissa McClelland of the band Whitehorse, local Kelly Sloan, and John Gorka of Red Horse. With just their voices and acoustic guitars, the music sounded wonderful, even from under an umbrella.
But really, what's more folky than sitting in on some of your favourite musicians' jam sessions with other amazing artists?
There were also several hands-on workshops, including a seminar on storytelling by Ruthanne Edward at the Legacy Stage. There were seats set up under the tent and she started off the talk by artfully explaining the best way to solve a draught is, obviously, to wash your car. Of course, she wove a much better tale than I could ever recall.
More importantly, she reminded each and every one of the audience members that they were storytellers too. From "How are you?" you casually answer, to describing how your day went, you tell stories every single day. So you may not be the next beatboxing champion, or a world-class harmonica player, but at least you can still have fun doing it, or at least learn a good party trick.
On that note, I’ll see you all at the yodeling workshop Sunday at 4 p.m. on the Legacy Stage.
- Natasha
Saturday may have been a little soggy, but that didn't keep any of the musicians and presenters away from the Ottawa Folk Festival presented by TELUS. The line-up was out in full-force, and I’m not just talking about the performances at our main stages.
From hands-on instructional workshops, to laid back interviews and musical mash-ups, there’s a lot more than meets the eye at this year’s festival.
If you're not musically inclined, or prefer to sit back and watch the pros do it, you could check out the amazing jam sessions with some of our headlining artists at the Slackwater Stage.
Sincerely Yours opened the stage on Saturday, a group made of four artists from near and far. John K. Samson played host, introducing himself as well as Melissa McClelland of the band Whitehorse, local Kelly Sloan, and John Gorka of Red Horse. With just their voices and acoustic guitars, the music sounded wonderful, even from under an umbrella.
But really, what's more folky than sitting in on some of your favourite musicians' jam sessions with other amazing artists?
There were also several hands-on workshops, including a seminar on storytelling by Ruthanne Edward at the Legacy Stage. There were seats set up under the tent and she started off the talk by artfully explaining the best way to solve a draught is, obviously, to wash your car. Of course, she wove a much better tale than I could ever recall.
More importantly, she reminded each and every one of the audience members that they were storytellers too. From "How are you?" you casually answer, to describing how your day went, you tell stories every single day. So you may not be the next beatboxing champion, or a world-class harmonica player, but at least you can still have fun doing it, or at least learn a good party trick.
On that note, I’ll see you all at the yodeling workshop Sunday at 4 p.m. on the Legacy Stage.
- Natasha
Review: Timber Timbre, Dark Roots Music
A sinkhole on the 417 may have swallowed a
car this week, but the act known as Timber Timbre – albeit in stripped-down
mode with just lead singer Taylor Kirk in attendence – went much deeper at the
far corner of Folk Fest last night. Following Mirel Wagner's doom-laden blues
on Thursday, Kirk's performance of heavy swampwater atmospherics was a perfect
dovetail for fans of dark roots music. If this theme keeps up, the organizers
will need to seriously think of changing the name of this stage from Tartan to
Black Watch.
Kirk's Timber Timbre project began with two
independently released LPs in 2006. At the time, Kirk's work was solo, and the
Timber Timbre name references early recordings spawned late fall in a remote
Bobcaygeon log cabin. “Songs Of The Wood” would be an appropriate alternative
to the Timber Timbre name, were it a title not already owned by Mr. Frank
Zappa, and tonight's solo performance – absent were multi-instrumentalists Mika
Posen and Simon Trottier – was certainly a chance to take it back to the raw
wood.
Disciples of Kirk's voice – it's rich,
ponderous tonality comparable to a meditative Leonard Cohen trapped in the body
of a demented Roy Orbison – will have been pleased by a song selection that
went deep into Timber Timbre's earliest efforts. Newcomers to the band's sound
may have wondered what all the hype around the Toronto based act was about, for
Kirk's versions of his own work were slower and more experimental than the
maximal sound the group is known for delivering. In any case, this set provided
a rare occasion to hear an artist completely reinterpret his own works.
Songs “Bad Ritual,” “Magic Arrow,” “Lay Down
In The Tall Grass,” and “Lonesome Hunter” provided a familiar beginning to the
set (each song released on the most recent albums), but Kirk slowed the rhythm
of each tune down to a barely registered beats-per-minute. “It's the last fest
of the year,” he quipped mid-section, “and I've been looking forward to this
night.”
One could easily read the musician's
enjoyment as he launched into some unreleased material, before hooking up his
mic to a four-track and sampling an admittedly unusual chorus of bird calls to
introduce songs pulled from 2006's “Cedar Shakes” LP, and the
rare-as-hen's-teeth 2008 EP, “Medicinals.” Timbre being one of the most
important elements in bird song, many in the audience will likely have found
their inner goose or zebra finch being channelled.
“It's not late/ it's only dark,” Kirk
breathed into his penultimate tune, before the audience enthusiastically
demanded his return. “Maybe I'll play “Pinball Wizard,” he joked amidst rain
showers, but in the end it was the irony of the group's “Black Water” release
that would have to take it home: “All I need is some sunshine” rang out as a
fitting final chorus.
- Cormac Rea
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